Tag Archives: liberal arts education

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The benefits of a liberal arts education

 

liberal artsStudents increasingly seek after liberal arts degrees, as it imparts comprehensive educational skills that they can apply to various jobs. Such students equip themselves with various skills including writing and communication. A well-written resume that conveys all one wants to impart and holds the attention of the potential employer is very important. Getting across your views and being able to do so in a precise and concise way is a valuable asset, and a student with a liberal arts major is trained to achieve superior communication and writing skills. They are able to write effective resumes and letters and market themselves effectively. It is not uncommon for them to gain higher positions with good salaries.

Communication

A majority of the workforce in many businesses needs training to improve their writing skills. Companies spend a substantial amount of money for this training. A person who is able to get across the policies, plans and decisions to employees located in different areas is a huge asset to any organization. Clear communication saves time and money. The person receiving the communication is able to get the message and is able to implement it effectively. A liberal arts graduate is able to effectively get across policies and procedures with his excellent communication skills.

When a student completes the degree plan, he gains personal qualities and skills that are sought after by employers. Teamwork skills, analytical skills, communication skills, computer skills, interpersonal skills, strong work ethics, willingness to take initiative and responsibility, flexibility, an eye for detail, and ability to think out of the box are a few qualities and skills one learns. The modules and course structures are formulated to increase problem-solving skills and enhance critical thinking. They are made aware of the various problems and ills that affect the society. The student gets insight into the culture and customs of people belonging to different communities in different parts of the country and world. He is acquainted with race, gender, education, class and other factors that affect the society and work. The student is made aware of the cultural differences and taught to see things from different perspectives and have empathy.

An Array of Knowledge and Skills

He is able to work with people with different views for the betterment of the organization for which he works. The education prepares him for a range of careers in diverse areas of work. It is unlike a professional bachelor’s degree that qualifies a student for a specific job.

This degree assists his quest for knowledge and helps him find solutions to various ills that affect the society. Such a student gains knowledge in various subjects, like media and communication, history, science and technology, literature, language, philosophy, history, mathematics, psychology, education and many more.

They get well-rounded education unlike students who enroll for other degree courses that focus only on a specific subject and equips them for specific jobs. They are able to converse on a range of topics and hold meaningful and intelligent discussions on numerous political, economic and social issues. The problem solving skills they learn help them tackle and find solutions to various issues. The liberal arts degree encourages free thinking and free expression. The decision making skills the students are trained in qualify them for higher positions in the work place.

Your options are open

If you are looking at options to pursue higher education, liberal arts degrees are still a promising choice. More and more students are opting for liberal arts instead of pursuing technical, medical vocational training or a course in business education. Some of the best educational institutions offer a Liberal arts degree plan that enables one to pursue a vocation in any field, including politics.

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Author Bio

Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to the field of education. In this article, he describes the benefits of a liberal arts degree and aims to encourage further study with an art education online degree.

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What the Liberal Arts are NOT

Today’s guest blogger is from Maryville College: Dr. Jeffery Fager, Vice-President and Dean of the College. Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state’s third largest city. Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Dr. Fager offers some interesting insight into a liberal arts education and debunks the myths surrounding liberal arts.

Those of us committed to liberal arts education seem to be fighting an uphill battle in communicating the true nature of the liberal arts. Perhaps the first task is to dispel some common misconceptions.

1 – The Liberal Arts are not related to the Democratic or Republican (or Libertarian) political parties

2 – The liberal Arts are not highly specific fields of knowledge that are limited to only certain areas of life.

3 – The Liberal Arts are not lofty musings disconnected from the “real world” where people must get jobs and live their lives.

Those myths now cast aside, what exactly are the Liberal Arts?

Originally there were seven liberal arts, divided into two sections known by their Latin names, the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music) and the trivium (logic, grammar, and rhetoric). These areas of inquiry were considered appropriate for a free person (Latin: liber) in contrast to manual skills that were appropriate for slaves.

Obviously, things have changed over the centuries. Other disciplines were added to the list, and some of the traditional ones slipped away or were subsumed in the newer areas. During this century, many referred to the liberal arts as certain disciplines that were considered “traditional” as opposed to those areas that are associated with particular careers. In addition, colleges that referred to themselves as “liberal arts colleges” developed general education programs that consisted of a menu of courses in those traditional disciplines. We are familiar with them: English, History, Philosophy, Economics, Mathematics, Science, etc.

It is interesting to note that at the beginning of the twentieth century Harvard did not recognize Chemistry as a proper discipline for a true university; it was considered a “trade” skill. In recent decades scholars have recognized that to limit “the liberal arts” to a list of specific disciplines would not be adequate. Knowledge was changing too quickly, and disciplines did not separate into neat, mutually exclusive “silos.” Therefore, the language in higher education is shifting from “the liberal arts” to “liberal education.” We no longer speak of a static collection of knowledge to be memorized but a way of approaching the world–or, more accurately, several ways of approaching the world.

Liberal education involves different ways of analyzing questions or problems and developing answers or solutions. Each question or problem may lend itself to a particular method of analysis: scientific (natural and social), humanistic, artistic, empirical, philosophical. We must learn these different methods and gain the ability to discern their appropriate applications. In complex cases, several methods must be applied in order to achieve the best possible solution or answer. The liberally educated individual will have the tools to perform such a complex analysis.

In the case of Maryville College, where I enjoy the role of academic dean, our Maryville Curriculum is intentionally interdisciplinary and developmental, in that students take core courses in every year of their college experience, constantly reinforcing and extending their analytical skills. Even in the discipline-specific courses, while content is important, critical analysis of the content is crucial. All students bring their education to culmination in a senior research project, in which they apply all of these skills in creating a product appropriate to their respective major.

And isn’t that what the world demands today…multiple skill sets, complex analysis, the ability to think critically about an issue or situation and provide an ethical, effective idea or solution? The liberally educated individual—one who has experienced the depth and breadth of a liberal arts education—is able to engage with this world successfully, adapting with the changes and complexities it presents.

Those, my friends, are the Liberal Arts.

You can follow Maryville College on Twitter @stretchyourmind.